Download and Install the Cosmo Player VRML Plugin

The Cosmo Player VRML plugin was NOT developed at NIST, only the new installer described below. The instructions below are provided as a service to the VRML community. No support for Cosmo Player is available.

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New installer for Internet Explorer and Firefox Original installer for Firefox   Original installer for Internet Explorer Multiple VRML plugins   Getting Started / Keyboard Shortcuts

What's VRML?

VRML is the Virtual Reality Modeling Language, a standard file format to display 3D models on the web. Use the VRML Plugin Detector to check if you already have a VRML plugin installed.

Download Cosmo Player

Two different installation programs are available for the Cosmo Player VRML plugin for Windows. The installation programs work with any version of Windows including XP and Vista.

1. New - A new Cosmo Player installation program (from 2005) is now available that can be used as an alternative to the original Cosmo Player installer described below. It is an experimental system that was developed by deconstructing the original installer, updating it for new web browsers, and then repackaging it as a new installer.

   It works with Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, and SeaMonkey. It seems to overcome the difficulties in using the original installer with Internet Explorer, however, it was never thoroughly tested. Follow the instructions below to download and run the new installer.

2. Original - The original (from 1998) Cosmo Player VRML plugin installation program cosmo_win95nt_eng.exe can be downloaded from NIST. Using this installation program, Cosmo Player in Internet Explorer might not work because of a Windows security update. The installation program does work with Firefox, however, some manual intervention is required. Follow the instructions below depending if it is being installed in Firefox or Internet Explorer.

After the plugin has been installed, use the VRML Plugin Detector to check if it works. The web browser should be restarted before trying to detect a newly installed plugin.

Cosmo Player might not work with some newer OpenGL graphics drivers. See the instructions below to set the renderer in the Cosmo Player plugin.

Cosmo Player does not run under Linux or Mac OS X. Some VRML plugins for Linux and Mac OS X are listed here and on the VRML Plugin Detector.

Installing in Google Chrome and Safari for Windows

If a VRML plugin is already installed in Firefox, then when Google Chrome or Safari for Windows is installed, the VRML plugin should be available in those web browsers (screenshot). The old installer should work with Safari for Windows or Google Chrome but the new one does not.

Cosmo Player History

At one time or another, Cosmo Player has been developed and available from many companies including SGI (IRIX), Cosmo Software, Platinum, Nexternet (reborn as Pivoron Player), and most recently Computer Associates. The Windows version of the plugin is no longer available from any of them. The last version of the plugin, Cosmo Player 2.1.1, was released in 1998.

1. Before running the new installer, any VRML plugins that are already installed should be uninstalled.

2. The new installer (CosmoPlayer.exe) can be downloaded in the zip file CosmoPlayer.zip.

3. After starting the installation by running CosmoPlayer.exe from the zip file, first agree to the license agreement and then select which web browsers to install the Cosmo Player VRML plugin into.

   

4. Usually the web browser needs to be restarted to recognize the plugin. Use the VRML Plugin Detector to check if the plugin has been properly installed.

Original Cosmo Player Installation Program for Firefox, Opera, SeaMonkey, Safari, and Google Chrome

1. Download the original Cosmo Player installation program from NIST.

2. Since the original Cosmo Player installer is very old (1998) and does not recognize any of the newer web browsers, a file must be created manually that the installer expects to find. This process has not been tested with Safari for Windows or Google Chrome.

   The file that must be created has to be named netscape.exe. It can be created by copying, pasting and renaming any other file. It does not matter what is in that file as long a file with that name exists before Cosmo Player is installed.

   The newly created netscape.exe must be placed in the same directory as the web browser executable, typically:

   • Firefox - C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox
   • Opera - C:\Program Files\Opera
   • SeaMonkey - C:\Program Files\mozilla.org\SeaMonkey
   • Safari - C:\Program Files\Safari
   • Google Chrome - C:\Documents and Settings\{myusername}\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\Application
   • Mozilla - C:\Program Files\mozilla.org\Mozilla
   • Netscape 9 - C:\Program Files\Netscape\Navigator 9
   • Netscape 8 - C:\Program Files\Netscape\Netscape Browser
   • Netscape 7 - C:\Program Files\Netscape\Netscape

   Below is a screenshot of the Firefox directory.

   

    

3. After starting the installation (double clicking on cosmo_win95nt_eng.exe) and going through the Welcome and Software License Agreement dialogs, in the first Select Components dialog, choose "Other (unsupported browsers)" and click "Next".

   

    

4. In the second Select Components dialog, choose the option for "Netscape Browser - Unsupported Version" and click "Next".

   

    

5. In the "Netscape Install Directory" dialog, click on the "Browse..." button..

   

    

6. In the "Choose Folder" dialog, browse to the Path where the file netscape.exe was created in step 2 above and select the "plugins" directory. Then click on "OK". The Plugin directories are typically:
   • Firefox - C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugins
   • Opera - C:\Program Files\Opera\Plugins
   • SeaMonkey - C:\Program Files\mozilla.org\SeaMonkey\Plugins
   • Safari - C:\Program Files\Safari\Plugins
   • Google Chrome - C:\Documents and Settings\{myusername}\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\Application\Plugins
   • Mozilla - C:\Program Files\mozilla.org\Mozilla\Plugins
   • Netscape 9 - C:\Program Files\Netscape\Navigator 9\plugins
   • Netscape 8 - C:\Program Files\Netscape\Netscape Browser\plugins
   • Netscape 7 - C:\Program Files\Netscape\Netscape\plugins

   The following is a screenshot for the Firefox plugins directory.

   

    

7. Click on "Next" in the "Netscape Install Directory" dialog. The following is a screenshot for the Firefox plugins directory.

   

    

8. Click on "Next" in the "Choose Destination Location" dialog.

   

    

9. The remainder of the installation can proceed using the defaults settings.

10. Usually the web browser needs to be restarted to recognize the plugin. Use the VRML Plugin Detector to check if the plugin has been properly installed.

11. Setting the VRML file association (mimetype) for the web browser is not required, but after installing Cosmo Player in the web browser, opening a local .wrl file might not start up the web browser. If so, then:
    • Double-click the 'My Documents' icon on the Desktop.
    • Go to 'Tools' > 'Folder Options...'
    • Go to the 'File Types' tab and scroll down to the 'WRL' extension and the 'WRL File' file type.
    • Under Details for 'WRL' extension, it should indicate 'Opens with: Firefox' (or Mozilla, Opera, SeaMonkey, etc.)
    • If not, click on the 'Change...' button and from the list of programs, select Firefox (or Mozilla, Opera, SeaMonkey, etc.) and check the box 'Always use the selected program to open this kind of file'.

    

     

The original Cosmo Player installation program does work with web browsers such as Firefox, Opera, and SeaMonkey, however, some manual intervention is required to make it work. Other VRML plugins that work in Internet Explorer are listed on the VRML Plugin Detector.

1. Download the original Cosmo Player installation program from NIST.

2. After starting the installation and going through the Welcome and Software License Agreement dialogs, in the first Select Components dialog, choose "Other (unsupported browsers)" and click "Next".

   

    

3. In the second Select Components dialog, choose the option for "Microsoft Internet Explorer - Unsupported Version" and click "Next".

   

    

4. Click "OK" for the warning message about the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine.

5. Click "Next" in the "Choose Destination Location" dialog.

6. Complete the installation. Usually Internet Explorer needs to be restarted to recognize the plugin.

7. Use the VRML Plugin Detector to check if the plugin has been properly installed.

8. Some of the Internet Options might have to be set to be able to use the plugin in Internet Explorer.
   • In Internet Explorer go to Tools -> Internet Options -> Security -> Custom Level -> Active Scripting -> Enable -> OK
   • Also, go to Tools -> Internet Options -> Security -> Custom Level -> Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins -> Enable -> OK
   • And for Windows XP SP2 (Service Pack 2), you might have to go to Tools -> Internet Options -> Advanced -> scroll down to Security and select "Allow active content to run in files on My Computer"

If the IE Tab Plugin is installed in Firefox, and Firefox and Internet Explorer use different VRML plugins, then the same VRML model can be toggled between the two VRML plugins staying only in Firefox. In the example below, using the IE Tab Plugin would toggle the VRML model between Cosmo Player and Cortona3D.

The interactive performance can be improved by adjusting some settings. Click on the checkmark in the lower right corner to display the Preferences window. Use the "\" key to display the Cosmo Player console for any warning or error messages. Use the "=" key to display the frames per second.

OpenGL vs. Direct3D

Cosmo Player might not work with some newer OpenGL graphics drivers. To change which renderer is used, click on the checkmark in the lower right of the Cosmo Player control panel. Then click on the Graphics tab. Select the Direct3D renderer.

Blank or black screen

If you have a blank or black screen when trying to display a VRML file in Cosmo Player, then click the checkmark in the lower right of the Cosmo Player control panel. Then click on the Graphics tab. A blank or black screen can be caused by having a NonRendering Renderer selected. Select either the OpenGL or Direct3D renderer.

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